Military aviation readiness is in ‘a deep hole’

A high operational tempo and uncertain budgets have damaged aviation readiness across all four services and have leaders concerned about pilot safety, top brass told Congress Wednesday.

“I think we’ve all used the word ‘fragile,’” said Army Lt. Gen. Kevin Mangum, the deputy commanding general for Army Training and Doctrine Command. “We are about at the tipping point.”

Appearing before the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee, leaders from all four services told lawmakers the critical focus on overseas operations has hamstrung efforts to improve readiness and training back home.

“I often describe aviation as a fragile ecosystem,” said Mangum. “In order to keep this ecosystem healthy and thriving, all the requisite parts need to be nourished and maintained. If any get out of balance for long, the whole system can begin to fray and collapse.”

Rep. Madeleine Bordallo of Guam, the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, called the situation a “readiness crisis.”

“We know that readiness shortfalls stem from a degraded maintenance capability … the consequence of years’ worth of high operational tempo experienced by fewer aircraft with fewer experienced operators and skilled military and civilian personnel to maintain them,” she said.

Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation, said Marines are constantly transferring aircraft between units, or reducing the number of aircraft per fighter squadron because they simply don’t have enough operational planes.

“We can launch 42 percent — 443 aircraft — of our required 1,065 flightline inventory,” he said. “We are still far short of what we need to be in the course of readiness; 42 percent is not good enough. It’s not good at all. … We’re in a deep hole and have a ways to go to climb out.”

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